Hairstylist Survival Guide for the Holiday Season

@rochellgoldenhairstylist

As stylists, we all know how incredibly strenuous this time of year can be. My hell, I swear the winter season flies by faster and faster each and every year. Remember, you are not alone in the feelings of craziness that come with this season.

We have gathered a few tips from some incredible lights in our industry to help you not only survive, but to THRIVE this holiday season!

“Let the insanity begin!” As my team and I like to say.Come late October we find ourselves in complete Holiday Mode! Ensuring our guests book out two future appointments rather than one, tell yourself you won’t triple book - & here you are juggling an entire family in one time slot, adding in a few additional hours where you can, you know precisely how it goes!

Holiday season in our industry can be tough! Textbook speaking: the demand is higher than the supply & as stylists, we are as empathetic as they come. So when someone is begging us to be squeezed in - we’re all guilty of overly understanding and finding a tiny crack within our day for them.

I’ve done it one too many times, stretched myself so thin accommodating as many guests as I possibly can. But after 12 years in this industry, I have learned to say ‘No’. It comes with time, being able to properly communicate such a short yet direct sentence. No means no. ‘No, I am fully booked - I’d love to recommend someone for you though!’

Another tip I’ve picked up along the way, swap out your ‘sorry’ in just about every sentence. You can not be sorry for being fully booked, you earned it! You can’t say sorry for not squeezing them in, you have to find your balance!

Please trust in this, the money will come. The over exhaustion, the aching feet, the shortest fuse, & mental mayhem that comes with you overworking will never be worth the extra few bucks.

Say your no’s strongly & dump your sorry’s along the way. Enjoy the holiday season, and all that it stands for, finally!

You may be so busy and stressed, but the holiday season is not the time to cut corners on customer service. Make sure you are still providing your clients a great experience. Don’t skip on the massages, making eye contact, or making your client feel beautiful. It’s an opportunity to butter up your dream clients and show them what you’re worth. Go the extra mile just like how you normally would. And if you’re someone who doesn’t go the extra mile, now is a great time to start.

Capture That Content

Take the extra time to take B&As for Instagram. Whether it is making sure your assistant is doing them, or arranging to have clients come in 15 minutes early, you need to take the time to take really good photos and make great content. Even if you don’t have time to post it throughout the day, grabbing the content while you’re creating it is the way to go. This is all about building a better Instagram and portfolio, and attracting more dream clients to your chair.

Grab Client Contact Info

How are you going to get in touch with all the clients coming through your chair after they leave? Make sure that you get their contact information like email, phone number, and even Instagram to use for later. Whether you’re using a program like MailChimp or just your Gmail, collecting email is vital. In the podcast we go over how to create an email opt-in on MailChimp and how to use it during your clients appointment to make sure you stay in contact with them later. We will definitely have more episodes coming out soon about how to work with an email list.

“BUT HOW IS THIS GOING TO DOUBLE MY BUSINESS?”

Make It Personal

Take note of the dream clients that come in for a service, and write them a handwritten, personal thank you note. Let them know how much you value them, and that you look forward to seeing them again. Add any personal things in there that you take note of during their appointment. Taking the excellent customer service the extra mile that extends past just their appointment will help you stand out in their memory as someone they want to visit again.

I recommend even just keeping a stack of cards in the salon and while their color is processing, write a personalized noted and give it to them as they leave.

Preparing for a Price Raise

I remember being so busy one year that it was hard getting new clients in within a month, and the changes I made to my business to deal with the demand. And, as any business coach will tell you - if there is a high demand, it is OK to raise your prices. If you can’t get a client in within four weeks, adjustments need to be made and that is OK! Sometimes in our industry we worship this concept that being so busy you can’t book new clients is great. However, this makes it hard for you to practice self-care, take days off, or reschedule appointments for your favorite clients. There’s nothing good about that!

So, if you’re at a point where you can’t book new clients within 3-4 weeks, you need to do one (or more) of the following:

Shannel Mariano (@shannelmariano), one of our close friends and favorite educators had a few hot tips for us as well:

Make sure to plan ahead and block of the days & times you don’t want to work.

Sometimes clients prebook on dates they don’t realize fall on a holiday weekend or a day close to a holiday. To avoid last minute cancellations or no shows, make sure to confirm those types of appointments days before.